I've been making an effort to keep more puzzles, Lego projects, paints and paper, etc. on hand to keep Norah occupied. Even with all she does for school, she still has a lot of free time. And, in the past several weeks in particular, I was noticing more and more occasions of her wandering into the living room or kitchen and plopping down on the couch or at the table and just staring into space. This never really happened before so it took me a while to realize what was wrong with my child. She was bored!


Before I was a pregnant zombie, you could be sure that several afternoons each week, we'd be off on some adventure and Norah wouldn't have to come up with so many ways to stay entertained. But, now, I don't really leave the house unless I have to. (I find that dry heaving into a shopping bag or napkin or whatever else you have on hand while you are driving down the road is a little unsettling and even more unpleasant than throwing up at home in the toilet.)



So, when Norah shows any signs of boredom, I usually "assign" her some new project or chore that will fill up a half hour or so. She bucks at my suggestion sometimes, but I insist so she sighs and starts working and then settles into a happy groove till she's done. And, when she's done, she is totally free to move on to something else, something of her own choice and I must add that she usually always knows exactly what she wants to do at that point.

Voila! Boredom solved!